Rick's Pick's

Richard Benson's favorite food recipes and suggested wines.

"This is by far one of the best wine pairing seafood items for me personally. Wild King Salmon & Pinot Noir. "-Richard Benson

There a several recipes to use with this dish, however the best is simple and supports the Pinot Noir pairing. The tropical teriyaki is introduced as a drizzle element over the grilled filets topped with sesame seeds.

Meiomi Pinot Noir / Vintage 2014 Notes

A rich garnet color with a ruby edge, the wine opens to reveal lifted fruit aromas along with toasty oak notes. The well-integrated oak provides structure and depth seldom seen in Pinot Noir.

Wild Caught King Salmon, if fresh, should not be smothered in any sauce. This recipe intends to allow Salmon the starring role with its grilled presentation. Drizzled with Tropical Teriyaki Sauce plays nicely with the Meiomi Pinot Noir which in itself is bold enough to play back and frolic in this pairing.Cheers, RB

A lover’s delight for any morning with a suggested champagne to enhance your palate: Mountain Dome from Washington State with a touch of Crème de cassis finished by heart shape center slice of Strawberry.

Serves: 6

Ingredients

6 large eggs

½ cup heavy cream

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

⅛ teaspoon ground allspice

Salted butter for the pan or griddle

Twelve ¾-inch-thick slices of day old bread (Pugliese or Brioche would both do nicely)

Instructions

1.In a large baking dish, whisk together the eggs, heavy cream, cinnamon and allspice.

2.Heat a large pan or electric skillet to medium heat.

3.Add butter and allow to melt and coat the skillet or griddle.

4.Dip one slice of the bread at a time in the egg mixture, coating both sides. Each slice should be moist, but not soggy.

5.Place the bread on the skillet, cook for about two minutes then flip and cook for another two minutes on the other side.

6.Transfer each piece of French toast to a serving dish and cover with foil, adding the pieces and recovering as you go.

7.Once you have cooked all the bread, top with the maple cranberry sauce and serve.